Tales From the Front: Yeah, yeah, yeah

TRACE: I have a support group for people like myself with anxiety problems, and I’m co-owner of an affirmations group. One day, a woman named Elsa signed onto the affirmations group. We started talking online.

We became good friends. Elsa lived in Denver, and I lived in Chicago. She suggested that she move to Chicago. But we hadn’t met in person and I was afraid. I had given up finding true love a few times. I aborted the deal.

That was last year. For two months I cut off all contact with her. Then we began talking again. She said she’d fly out here and I could come to her hotel or not. Needless to say I went. We spent the weekend, and then she went home.

Then she flew out here again, and we spent another magical weekend together. Love had snuck up on me when I wasn’t fully paying attention. We plan to marry within a year. Love happens when you least expect it, and you have no control over it. I’m 47 and Elsa is 48. There’s no age limit on love, either.

YALE: I had gone through some horrible blind dates. Another one was out of the question. Then one day I took my son, 8, and my daughter, 6, to see their mom. She was constantly in and out of rehab, jail and halfway houses. We spent the late afternoon with her. That same day I received a call from some close friends inviting me to join them at a bar for some drinks. They knew how sad and lonely I was.

I didn’t want to go, but they wouldn’t let up. Eventually they told me that they had someone with them I should meet. They said I’d met her before, but I didn’t remember. I still refused to go, imagining the worst.

Then this mystery person called. She, too, insisted I come. She said she had blue eyes and blonde hair. I said to myself, “Yeah, right.” I didn’t remember meeting anyone like that at their house. But after putting the kids to bed, I thought about it some more. I decided, “What do I have to lose?” By now I was craving a beer. I called a babysitter and called my friends. They said to meet them back at their house.

I got there before they did and sat in their driveway. The suspense was killing me. A few moments later they pulled up. She stepped out of the car and my jaw dropped.

We drank some beers and chatted. She was funny, smart and cute. We got along great. My friends eventually went to bed, and we stayed in the living room talking. We could’ve stayed up all night, but she had to get home to her dog.

We’ve been a couple ever since. She’s what was missing in my life. We haven’t moved in together or gotten married yet, but down the road it would be nice to see her face every morning.

— Did love come along when you least expected it? Send your tale, along with your questions and rants, to cheryllavinrapp@gmail.com. And check out my new ebook, “Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front.”